Rail anchor



July 31, 1923. I 1,463,343

' H. STEPHENS RAIL ANCHOR Filed Oct. 23 1922 7 2&5

ATTORNEY? Patented July 31, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY STEPHENS, or CLEVELAND, onro, ASSIGNOR To THE INTERSTATE RAILWAY SUPPLY COMPANY, or CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION or 0310.

RAIL ANCHOR.

Application filed October 23, 1922. Serial No. 596,369.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, HENRY STEPHENS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Cleveland, county of'Cuyahoga, and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Rail Anchors, of which the following is a specification, the principle of the invention being herein explained and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The annexed drawing and the following description set forth in detail certain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but one of various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

' In said anneXed-drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View ofmyimproved rail anchor; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the wedge member; Fig. 3 is a plan 'view of a rail section showing the application of the device; Fig. 4 is a section on the lineHof Fig. 3; Fig. v5 is a broken top plan view on enlarged scale, and Fig. 6 is aplanview of a rail sectlon showing a modified form' of anchor embodying two-way holding means.

- The present anchor: is adapted to be located beneath the railroad rail and is adapted to grip the base'flange of the rail and at the same'time contact one of the ties. As. illustrated, the anchor comprises'an upright bar or strap 1 havin'ga. U-shaped bend 12- therein, the} bar being cutaway to vform an overhanging projection 3 at the g end nearthe U-bend and. sloping down- ..wardly toward the other end to form a rail base contacting surface 4 with a second overhanging projection 5 at the end away from the'U-bend.

The overhanging end'S forms a hook under which one end of the rail base 6 is adapted to flt snugly while the other hooked end or overhanging portion 5 receives the rail flange and this flange is secured tightly-thereto by means of a wedge 7 which may be forced between the end and top of the recess below the hook and the rail flange; This overhanging portion 5 presents a notch or recess of sufficient width and depth'so asto provlde a space between the vertical edge 8 of the overhanging portion and the end of the rail flange and also a space between the horizontal surfaces 9 and 10 respectively of the overhanging portion and the rail flange.

The wedge'is shaped to fit in this curved space and. thus the rail is wedged tightly as the wedging action is both horizontal and vertical.

The wedge 7 is'for'med at the side engaging the anchor with a series of notches forming shoulders 12 which engage pastthe edge of the anchor to hold the wedge in position.

The present anchor is placed upon the rail with the back 13 of the U-bend against the tie and then the wedge is driven into place which tends to and does cause the anchor to turn slightly or to assume a position at an. angle to therail. Furthermore the U-bend impartsZsuiiicient elasticity to the bar to permit of its stretching so as to cause the anchor to bind against the tie and at the same time grip the rail tightly.

In Fig. 6 'a two-way anchor. is shown, the main portion of the anchor being identical in construction with the form previously described, In this form at the 'Wedging end the anchor is provided with an extended portion which is bent at right angles to the body of the anchor and has a flange 21 parallel to the body forming together an L flange having one or' more apertures 22 normal d e t n the f e 24 i the flange through whichia tie engaging member 23 is spaced slightly away from the tie, but the Y starts to creep, the U bend is forced tight member formed with abeing adapted to act as anabutment against the rail tie,the top of said member being cut away to form two hookedends adapted to engage against the tie causing a furtherbinding of the anchor to the rail or a tightening of the grip thereon to prevent further creeping. While the anchor should be normally positioned against the tie in originally positioning the same a" slight clearance will quickly be taken up as the rail creeps creeping is quickly prevented.

The present anchor is simple in construction but is strong and yet has the necessary rwiliency' and elasticity to grip the rail tightly due to the U-bend spring in the main body of the anchor. By sloping the rail: base snrtace of the anchor added material is given to the hooked end 5 where the wedging action. is maintained, thereby greatly strengthening the anchor at this point and at the same time the material in the-auchor-is gradually reduced toward the end 5. The device is easy to attach and holds securely but may be released if necessary and the material is'so arranged as to give strength and stiffness where required and at the same time the necessary spring action. I 7

Other modes of applying the principle of my inventionmay be employed instead of one explained, change being made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed, provided. the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention 1. A rail anchor comprising a flat upright member formed with a U-bend intermediate the ends and-adjacent one end, the top of said member being cut away to form two hookedends adapted to engage over the base flange of the rail, and a wedge adapted to beforced between the base flange and one hooked end to secure said anchor to said base flange.

2. A rail anchor comprising a fiat upright the ends and adjacent one end, said bend overthe ,base flange of the rail, and a wedge adapted to be forced bet-ween and further U-bend intermediate the base flange and one hooked end to secure said anchor to said base flange.

tightly therebetween to cause said anchor to tightly grip said base flange and said U-bend spring being adapted to abut against the tie to act as a fulcrum to cause said anchor to grip the rail base more tightly upon creep ing action of the rail.

4. A rail anchor comprising a flat upright member having overhangingends and a sloped rail flange engaging sin-lace making the upright member wider at one end than at the other, said member being provided between its ends with a tie-contacti bend spring positioned adjacent the wider end, and a separate wedge member adapted to be forced between: the hooked end away from said U-bendspring andtbe base flange to secure said anchor tightly to said flan at the other, said member being provided between its ends with a tie-contacting U- bend spring positioned adjacent the wider end, and aseparate wedge member adapted to be forced between the hooked end away from said U-bend spring and the base flange to secure said anchor tightly to said flange and against the tie, said U-bend and nar rowing member imparting elasticity to said bar and being adapted to cause said anchor to grip the rail base flange more t' creeping action of the rail. 6. A rail anchor comprising a. flat uprigh member having overhanging ends and a sloped rail flange engaging surface making the upright member wider at one endth'an at. the other, said member being provided between its ends with a U-bend spring posi tioned adjacent one end, and a wedgeimemtly upon V her adapted to be forced between the overhanging endoppositeto said U-bend spring and said rail base flange to. secure said anchor to saidrail, said U-bend spring beingadapted upon creeping movement offthe railv to spring and-.more tightlyugrip the v anchor to the rail; V.

7. A rail anchorcomprising a flat upright member having overhanging ends and a sloped rail flange engaging surface. making the upright member wider atone end than at the other-{said member being provided with a tie-contacting cent the wi erend', nd. a s p "edge U-bend' spring adja:

member adapted to be forced between the hooked end away from said U-bend spring and the base flange to secure said anchor tightly to said flange, said wedge member having a series of notches on its anchor engaging face to catch back of the hooked end to prevent accidental removal of the wedge.

8. A rail anchor comprising a member having a U-bend spring adjacent one end and a rail base flange engaging portion, and

a flange at the opposite end adapted to be secured to a tie, means for securing said anchor to the rail base flange and means for fastening said end flange to the tie toallow said anchor to hold in both directions.

9. A rail anchor comprisin a member adapted to be positioned beneat a rail, said member having end portions adapted to grip the base flange of the rail and a U-bend spring adapted to act as a fulcrum against the rail tie, said member being provided at one end with an L-flange adapted to be 'secured to the tie to allow the anchor to hold in both directions.

10. A rail anchor comprising a member adapted to be positioned beneath a rail, said member having end portions adapted to grip the base flange of the rail and a U-bend spring adapted to act as a fulcrum against the rail tie, said member being provided at one end with an L-flange having an aperture adapted to receive a tie engaging member to hold said anchor to said tie to allow said anchor to hold in both directions.

Signed by me this 20th day of October, 1922.

HENRY STEPHENS. 

